Best moment for me was when Vicky asked the dad what horrible thing had happened and then SHUT UP for the first time since she got there and let him formulate and express it. She really helped the older son. He actually spoke up to his dad when she asked the father to clarify for her. He is definitely ready to leave the nest. Loved that Tao mom wants a mattress. Her husband was shocked. I think the younger son may be autistic. He was not open to anything new in a much more extreme way. I wonder what will happen to him when the older brother gets his car and drives off into the sunset.

Younger son will make a great serial killer some day if he doesn't soon learn some social skills.

It's astonishing to me that because Carl had a bad life experience, he's determined to keep his family locked up inside 4 walls, barefoot and sleeping all in the same room. Thank god the rest of us don't act like that when life hands us a raw deal.

12-18-2004, 05:47 PM

Xantham Gum

David Koresh, Jim Jones, Karl... was it just me or did this family seem so cultishly under the thrall of their "leader" that you half expected them to put on new Nikes and wait for the Halle Bopp comet to come along before drinking the phenobarbital cocktail?

12-18-2004, 08:38 PM

nausicaa

Quote:

Originally Posted by Qboots

Younger son will make a great serial killer some day if he doesn't soon learn some social skills.

This is a late post, but holy overstatement, batman! :laugh

I know what you're saying, but c'mon, if every alienated, ostracized, less-than-mainstream kid had the makings of serial killer, I'd be scared to step a foot inside any middle or high school in the nation.

Plus, don't you know every time that an ant burns to cinders under a magnifying glass, somewhere out there a Taoist cries? ;) (Probaby another reason why so many of them are vegetarians.)

12-19-2004, 12:08 AM

hepcat

The two sons have a message board, and I've been chatting with them a bit. They are so not like they were portrayed on the show. They seem like normal teenagers - heck, the young one is a fan of Survivor. :up

The editing was especially heavy on this episode. It's worth taking a look in the articles/info thread about the Abbotts.

12-19-2004, 12:13 AM

just1paul

Quote:

Originally Posted by hepcat

The two sons have a message board, and I've been chatting with them a bit. They are so not like they were portrayed on the show. They seem like normal teenagers - heck, the young one is a fan of Survivor. :up

The editing was especially heavy on this episode. It's worth taking a look in the articles/info thread about the Abbotts.

Hep, Ive been checking the Abbott websites also, and it really was a major edit job, I'm sure each one is different, but the Abbotts have been very outspoken about it, whereas we haven't really heard much from other families.

12-19-2004, 12:59 AM

hepcat

True, although I corresponded a fair bit with the Loupe's, and they were happy with their edit. What I found intersting about the Loupe's is that they gave non-answers to my questions about Barbara. I got the feeling that it was "if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all."

What bothers me about the editing on these last two episodes is that they tried to create wackiness in a meaningless way. The show portrayed them as not having coffee or TVs, when they watch enough to be up on Survivor and do drink coffee. They're reality TV fans like the rest of us! :laugh Maybe not any more, though.

Carl Abbott says the sentence of him saying something like "I want Vickie to ride a cosmic saucer" was about five sentences spliced together. They were trying to make them look as wacky as possible, but he took offense at the edited version because they took a conversation where he was explaining something about their religious beliefs and turned it into a joke. He says it was like making a Christian "say" they worship Satan out of "I worship the one true God, who opposes Satan." His argument and explanation was a lot more coherent. :)

12-19-2004, 11:32 AM

MarlaD

My knee jerk reaction to Kyle was along the Columbine lines as well, but then I got to thinking about his situation. Here's a serious, reserved person raised in a very routine predictable environment. Suddenly you have a brash loudmouthed stranger up in your face, thinking she knows what best for you and automatically dismissing the things you find important. Add to that, cameras on you 24/7 for a week and the knowledge that everything that comes out of your mouth is going to be manipulated and viewed by millions. I have to admit, I'd come off looking like a severely troubled individual under those circumstances as well. Heck I act like that sometimes when I'm around people that bug the crap out of me. I do think he's an extremely uptight young man however. For someone like him, it's probably a blessing that he's never had to endure public school. At least he's been able to grow up and learn in a supportive loving environment without being taunted and ridiculed. As for what the future has in store for him, I can't even imagine.